For the past couple years, I have been trying to learn to call. But it hasn't worked. I can make a decent sounding 'quack', but it isn't good enough for the field. I was wondering if y'all had any tips to make me a good duck caller.

Well, I'm in some sort of the same situation as you I can do feeder calls, but quacking isn't as easy for me, what has helped me a ton, might cost like $9, get one of those microphones, or recorders and listen to one of the better videos on youtube and then listen to them, try what they are saying while recording. I try to make the same sound that the callers are using, but make sure you pick a good caller, I don't know any off the top of my head. Helped me out a ton.

Oh yea you might not get it the first time just keep trying eventually it will come.

It took me a little over three years to even get a quack. I just finally got it last year and I have been calling in a lot of ducks already. when some ducks are really far away, I just give em a few quacks and keep quacking till they get close enough to shoot(I still cant do the feeder call), and I will use the comeback call if they are going away from me. with just those two calls, the ducks should come right into your spread. also go to a spot where the ducks are at and bring your call. listen to them quacking and quack back at them and see what they do. I have also just gone out to a marsh in the morning and try to call in some ducks just for fun.

Get you a loaf of bread and head down to your local park lake or pond. Sit down and listen to all the sounds the ducks make, go home and try to make them with your calls. Practice makes perfect and only comes with experience.

kysupernova wrote:Get you a loaf of bread and head down to your local park lake or pond. Sit down and listen to all the sounds the ducks make, go home and try to make them with your calls. Practice makes perfect and only comes with experience.

............ Hope you fellas' don't mind if an old guy comes down here for a minute. ..I happened to see" I just can't call" while on my way somewhere else. You keep at it deaddux! You can call a cat right?..try saying Kitty, Kitty, Kitty,....... fast and Take the "tt" in kitty and apply it to your call to help you make a feed chuckle. There are some callin' c.d.'s available, but I like this advice from supernova. I think you'll be able to watch the ducks' movement while they talk and it means more to ya'

Swampbilly1980- I got a feeva',..and the only cure is more Mergansers and face paint.

i did what kysupernova for about a year and i have been calling for about a year and a half. it just takes practice. listen to the professionals and others like kent cullum or jim ronquest the are the best i listen to them all the time and also i have a post called my duck calling you should listen to it im still a rookie so i dont know what i sound like really because my dad said i was good but thats waht dads are for

Lastly, every time you step in that vehicle from now til season starts, put that tape in and play with it.

Im 18 and have been callin since I was 5. Not saying im great, but I can keep up with just about anybody when it comes to calling. The key to it is practice. Play with different sounds, and develop your own words to say. Initially work on a single quack, dont get tempted to try hail calls, or anything else. Once you get that perfected, start working on your feeding call. I was probably 16 before I could do a good feeding chuckle, its definately the most challenging. If you can do a feeding call and a single quack you can call ducks. After you get those down start working on comeback calls, then hail calls, etc. Practice, and play with it to eventually develop rythym. You will get there with a lot of practice. But remember, just cuz these guys do a bunch of exotic crap on tv doesnt mean that you cant call in a group of birds with a single quack and feeding call. really on high pressured birds I end up doin a lot more of that than anything else. good luck

just about all of this is good advice. and also make sure you have a call that can make the basic sounds. I say wick for the quack, and tick-it tick-it tick-a a bunch, and fast to make the feeder chuckle. then just go to the park and call to the ducks. Practice

what jaker said, i probably learned more about blowin my duck call in the truck than anywhere else. Although its still important to listen to ducks and learn what sounds they make and when they make em. You may be able to blow a duck call better than anyone else out there, but if you dont know when to use it and when not to, you still may not kill a single duck. Basically practice, practice, practice, trust me it'll come to you eventually.

I agree with alot of the other guys. Just keep listening to the different sounds of the ducks. Or like i did, i searched up a bunch of the different noises or sayings to say into the call. It has helped me alot.Good Luck

If you just want to run a hunting call, order the Duck Commander "The Art of Commanding Ducks". He covers air presentation, blowing from your gut not your cheeks, tone and cadence. My DUCK calling improved a lot after watching that tape or DVD as the case may be. Forget a 20 note highball. Learn a chop-chop call which is a 4-note lick which sort of goes "Paan pan pan pan" getting a little quieter and deeper with each note. Basically the faster you push the air through the call, the higher the tone, the slower the deeper. So your first note is the fastest and longest Paan. Then taper it off.Then a few quacks. You'd be amazed at the variety of single quacks that a real hen will rip off. She can get very aggressive with just a long line if high pitched fast paced quacks and then she'll taper off with that chop-chop call.Another lick that works is what Robertson calls the paralyzer or something. Basically similiar to the chop-chop but the second note is emphasized. The first note is short. Pum- PAAN pan pan pan.The feeding call is, to me the call that is done incorrectly by most of the people. The ticket-ticket-ticket sound is much too fast for a feeding call. That is the sound a duck makes while flying. The feeding call is much jumpier and more erratic. tunk -tukka tunk tunk

start with the basics and get those down. Far too many new callers listen to competition calling and get held up on not being able to high ball or do a super fast feeding call. The key is sounding real period. If you want to shoot ducks you gotta sound real. If you go down to a park very few times will you hear long strings of feeding calls or many sounds made during competition calling. Get your quacks down consistant and dont be afraid to blow your call. You wont get any better if you dont try whether that be in the field or at home. Learn from how the ducks react. It wont happen over night. Hope this helps a little.

Practice, Pracice, Practice..... When hunting with other people, listen to them, listen to the birds and get to know how each kind of call can be effective and or ineffective ia any scenerio. I was ok at the star but just took off from there, i geuss from whatching and learning. It happens to a lot of people though, your not alone, my father is good but could do betterC!